Tag: Hebridean Aran

I have to start my round up of my Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Hebridean Aran yarn review by confessing to two epic fails. The first one wasn’t really my failure, but my computers. It decided to pop its clogs in quite a dramatic fashion just as I was preparing to write this post. I have a replacement now, however it seems like it’s taken an absolute age to access all my data, and install specialist bits of software.

Then … I lost the swatch. (Leigh looks utter shame-faced and scurries away to hide in a corner.) It was tucked into my bra – and then it wasn’t. So I’m including a photo of my slippers, which have now been worn significantly more than last you saw them.

Can you tell the difference between this and my previous photo? I can’t. I’ve worn these on my feet for several days and can’t see any signs of wear at all. If you’re after a yarn to make a hardworking pair of mittens or slippers, then this is it.

If you’re looking for a yarn to make a warm cowl or hat… lets just say that this wouldn’t be my first choice. It had a prickle factor that I couldn’t ignore. I definitely wouldn’t want this next to my neck or forehead.

I’d hoped to take my swatch and felt it, just to see what sort of fabric it made. Felted mittens are fabulous for making snowballs, and I thought this yarn might work really well for this purpose. Perhaps the swatch was just so petrified by the prospect of this treatment that it decided to go AWOL. I hope this final round up has been useful to you even in its absence.

I purchased Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Hebridean Aran yarn a while ago, having seen it on a episode of Fruity Knitting; however it’s taken me a little while to decide what to make with the two balls I had. In the ball the yarn feels quite rustic, and I was loath to put in near my forehead or neck. In the end I really fancied a pair of travel slippers, and this seemed like the best option from the yarns in my stash.

The pattern is Simple House Slippers, which has been really popular on Ravelry recently. I knitted them on 4 mm needles hoping to make a dense, hardwearing fabric. The gauge came out at 18 stitches over 10cm, pretty much perfect for an Aran yarn, and feels really nice. They have a crisp feel, and the fabric has a nice structure. The stitches disappear completely, and there isn’t a lot of stitch definition even in the garter stitch section.

I used the leftovers to make a swatch on 4.5 mm needles, and turned up a gauge of 16 stitches over 10 cm. While the fabric in the swatch has more drape, I prefer the density of the slippers. The tighter gauge would make a lovely warm outer wear garment. The stitch definition was still entirely lost. Can you even see the rows of eyelets? I’m kicking myself for not trying a cable. Although, I suspect the dimensional detail of a twisted stitch pattern would still get lost with this yarn.

The armpit test is in progress, and I’ll be back on Monday to share the results.

Like this:

This week I have a yarn in my hands that I’m so excited to talk to you about. Firstly, it’s local to me. Secondly, funds from the sale of this yarn support a local charity. And finally, this yarn is a by product of local efforts to manage the environment to support wildlife. I LOVE that the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have turned a by product of their conservation efforts in to a commodity that supports their flock. There is a lovely section on Ravelry explaining how the Trust use their flock to support conservation, and you can buy the yarn from their online shop. For today, all that’s left is to leave you with the yarn stats.